In the Black of His Heart
by ItsACharmedLife
Summary: Wyatt has had enough of the resistance. He will prove to Chris that he cannot be challenged. Wyatt devises a plan that will shatter what remains of the Halliwell family. In the aftermath, will the others be able to come together or will Wyatt succeed in tearing them apart forever?
1. My Sacrifice

Wyatt Halliwell was not used to being made a fool of, but that's exactly what was happening. His family, his own family, was mocking him. Did they not realize how much danger that put him in? And therefore, themselves? The only reason Chris's "resistance" was still standing was because he let it. But Chris was starting to annoy him. He was getting too cocky. How was he supposed to run an empire with Chris biting at his ankles? Wyatt rubbed his temple to try and ease the headache he always got when he thought about his little brother. "If you only you could see, Brother, the genius of my plans. You would be safe. All of you."

He tried not to think about his family, but he never seemed to be able to get them completely off his mind. Everything he did was for them. He only wanted to protect them like he couldn't do with his mom, but they couldn't see that. They only saw the negatives. Yes, sacrifices had to be made, but family came first. Right? That's what their parents taught them, so if they had the power to make sure no one would ever be able to hurt them again, why not use it? Wyatt understood his family's hesitance in the beginning, but now they were starting to actually think they could challenge him. That was unacceptable to Wyatt. If there was any hope that he could be beaten, Wyatt knew his enemies would cling to it.

Hope was a dangerous thing in the hands of rebels, especially in his family. Wyatt wasn't scared of anyone. He alone was the most powerful being alive. He had done the impossible. He had united the mortal and magical worlds and brought to ashes the hierarchy of good and evil. Most of the planet was under his control. Only a few dared to even think of challenging his power. Unfortunately, his enemies were the ones he loved the most. Rumors were beginning to spread throughout his empire that Wyatt was getting weak and that he didn't attack the resistance his brother had created because he couldn't. People were starting to believe that Chris's power could rival his.

His spies were reporting exponential growth in the numbers of the resistance, which had now coined the name the Rebel Alliance. Things were getting out of hand quickly. If Wyatt didn't act fast, the precarious stability of his empire could be shattered by his own brother.

"You have left me with few options, Chris. I cannot be held responsible for what has to be done. You, who pride yourself on upholding the traditions of our family, will be the cause of its destruction." Wyatt stood up from his ornate, Victorian-style desk and transversed his bedroom to the wide windows that overlooked his capital city.

He was three stories up and could see over the outer wall of his mansion. To anyone who didn't know, the city looked like any other. It was dark out, but the lights from the buildings, cars, and billboards created a luminescent film over the skyline. Wyatt knew the truth, however. War was brewing just outside his walls, perhaps it was already beginning, and Wyatt was going to have to protect what was his at any costs.

"You brought this on yourself, Brother, the moment you decided to fight me." Wyatt tried to convince himself that this was the only option, but he hated himself for what he had to do. "I will prove to you, and all those who think they can challenge me, that I will not stand for rebellion."

Someone knocked on his bedroom door. "Come in," he ordered. Wyatt knew there was no going back after this moment. Once his plan started, things were never going to be the same. Until this point, he had let his family thrive under his protection, but Wyatt was through with being made a fool of. Chris was going to learn a lesson even if it cost them a loved one.

A tall, red headed woman entered the room and closed the door behind her. She was young; she had only turned twenty a few weeks ago. But her face and body were that of a seasoned warrior. She had been with Wyatt when he first started his campaign for power. She had never left his side even when the rest of the Halliwell family had abandoned him. "Katherine," Wyatt grinned turning to face his adopted sister, "I'm so glad you could make it. I know these last weeks have been very...exhausting for you."

Katherine smirked. "You could say that." She strolled over to Wyatt's plush, king-sized mattress and plopped down on her back. She had spent the last two weeks prowling through the underbelly of Republic City to find out anything she could about the resistance movement with zero headway. If there was anything happening, the R.A. was doing a damned good job hiding it. She had just gotten back an hour ago when her attendant told her Wyatt needed to see her. "So why am I in your room instead of catching up on some much needed sleep?" She didn't try to hide the animosity in her voice.

"Careful, Katherine. If anyone else had talked to me like that, they would be dead before they could finish their sentence." Wyatt, too, didn't try to mask his anger. He was used to people groveling at his feet, and while he didn't expect Kat to bow down to him, he did expect some respect.

Katherine rolled her eyes at her older brother. "Then blast me, or whatever it is that gets you going these days. I'm exhausted. I haven't slept in three days and I've spent the last week crawling through the sewer with people who were dumber than the rats on our feet." She grimaced at the memory. "Which, by the way, I am never going down there again. I still smell like shit."

This time Wyatt chuckled. "No argument there. I can smell you all the way from over here. I think I'm going to have to have my room fumigated."

Katherine stuck out her tongue without looking at him. "Whatever. All I know is, if the R.A. is planning something they're covering their asses pretty well. No one's talking and I was...very convincing."

Wyatt scowled, but he believed the young woman. No one could make anyone give up information like her. Wyatt's stomach would still get queasy whenever he thought about the last time he walked in on one of Katherine's "interrogations," and he didn't consider himself weak-stomached. So Chris was keeping his plans top secret. That just proved to Wyatt that his plan was all the more necessary, but the problem wasn't convincing himself. The problem was the woman lying on his bed. If Katherine couldn't see his logic, the whole plan would fall through. "We cannot let things keep escalating like they have. If we don't act now, we could lose what little security we have now."

Katherine nodded. She'd heard the same speech from him before. She believed that's what Wyatt was telling himself, but she also believed Chris was getting under Wyatt's skin. No one had even come close to challenging Wyatt since he gained control of middle earth except for Chris. It was sibling rivalry on a catastrophic level. Of course, she never told Wyatt this because she preferred to stay on his good side. "Unfortunately, we both know that Chris isn't just going to surrender because we want him too."

Wyatt stared at the only family who wasn't hellbent on destroying his empire. She wasn't really his sister. Her grandmother was Penelope Halliwell's sister. Katherine's parents were killed in a mysterious house fire when she was just an infant. Piper was considered her next-of-kin. Of course, his mother had taken the baby in without hesitation and raised her as her own even though Piper was pregnant with her third child, Melinda. When Katherine was old enough to make the decision, Piper and Leo asked her if they wanted to become their legal daughter. The then nine year old Katherine had stated she thought she already was. Katherine had been the only one to see Wyatt's logic when he revealed to his family his plan to challenge the Powers That Be for control of the magical community. She was his most trusted confidante, but she also still believed that their family could be won over to their way of thinking.

"No, but perhaps there is something we can do prevent another all-out war." Wyatt had to proceed carefully, but he believed with a little coaxing he could show her this was completely necessary.

Now Katherine sat up. "What do you have in mind?" Wyatt wasn't looking at her which was never a good sign. Maybe it was the exhaustion, but she had a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"I have to prove to him that he cannot challenge me and succeed." Wyatt turned back to the window. He heard Katherine get up from the bed and stand behind him.

"What the hell does that mean, Wyatt?" Katherine grabbed his wrist and tried to make him look at her, but he kept his gaze facing the city below them.

"We strike Chris where he will feel it most," Wyatt waited for his sister's response. Wyatt ignored the aching in his chest. He was a leader, and as a leader, he had to do what was best for his kingdom. Chris was a threat that had to be handled.

Katherine didn't understand at first. There was only one thing in the world that mattered to Chris: his family. And that's when it hit her. "No," she gasped, "Wyatt, we can't do that! They're our family, too!" Katherine forced her way in front of him. What the hell was he thinking? They were doing all of this to protect their family not to kill them. That was why she'd stayed with Wyatt. She believed in him and his purpose. The Wyatt she knew would never even think of harming family. "Wyatt, that's taking it too far. No, we can't do that."

"Do NOT tell ME what I can't do!" Wyatt bellowed. He glared down at her. Who did she think she was? He knew they were family, but he also knew they were a threat. They had already sacrificed so much. Did Katherine just want that all to go to waste? She could play the "good guy" if she wanted, but Wyatt knew she would eventually see reason.

Katherine shrunk under his anger. This wasn't Wyatt. Something had changed in her brother. She tried to find the man who had set out to protect his family in his eyes, but all she saw was fear and anger. "Katherine," he said evenly without emotion, "we have to do this. I will not let them continue to mock me."

"So that's what it's about? Pride? You're willing to kill your family for your own ego?" Katherine was aware she was walking on this ice. Wyatt's anger was only matched by his brother's, a trait they both inherited from their late mother. Before tonight she never thought Wyatt could hurt one of them, but now she wasn't so sure. This plan was ridiculous.

"It's not pride," he wasn't looking at her again. His voice was monotone. "I've built an empire for myself...and you, and all of them. They've made it near impossible for the peace I seek to exist. One more life, one more sacrifice is all we need to create peace then we can be a family again."

Katherine shook her head. "And who are you going to kill? Prue? Henry? Blake? Harper?" Their names stung her chest. She missed her family so much. She knew Wyatt missed them too. It was killing them both to be separate from them, and when Chris had started the resistance, Wyatt retreated so far into himself Katherine didn't know if he was ever going to come back out. Only in the last few months had her brother started to act like a leader again, but he had changed. He hardly ever smiled or laughed. There wasn't a twinkle of excitement in his voice when he talked anymore. He spent most of his time locked up in his rooming brooding over Chris.

Wyatt scowled. There was the other kink in his plan. Which one would he sacrifice. He tried to imagine the perfect world he strived to create without any one of his family and couldn't. "I haven't decided."

"Wyatt," she was pleading now, not with the leader of civilization, but with her brother. That was the only way she would be able to stop this. Wyatt, the eldest of the Charmed One's children, would never let anything hurt his family. She just had to find that person again. She met his blue eyes. They were clouded over with fear and doubt. "We will find a way to be a family again, but not like this. If you do this, we will lose them forever." Fear gripped Katherine. She had always kept up hope that one day she could be reunited with the people she loved. They had already lost so many people they loved, she couldn't imagine losing someone else, not at her own hands

Wyatt sighed. Some part of him knew she was right, but Wyatt was tired. He was tired of fighting Chris and the rest of his family and all the other groups that wanted his downfall. When he had set out to accomplish his goals he had always imagined Chris by his side. Together they would have been unstoppable. Wyatt shook away any hope of his brother ever seeing reason. Chris was just too stubborn to see that he was wrong, and he had drug down the rest of the family with him. "If we don't do this, we could lose so much more."

"What is there besides family?" Katherine breathed. "Family comes first, remember?"

"Don't recite my mother's words to me. I did everything for them, and they threw it in my face! Now they will face the consequences of their actions." Wyatt waved his hand when she tried to argue. "No, this discussion is over. Either you're with me or against me."

Katherine grit her teeth. She knew the choice she should make. She should walk out on him right now, make her stand. Perhaps the others would welcome her back, but she doubted it. That's when she realized she never had a choice. The others would never accept her. Even on the rare occasions they saw each other, they asked about Wyatt, not her. She knew it was cliche, but being adopted set her apart from them. They shared a bond she couldn't understand. If she walked out on Wyatt, she would lose the only family she had left.

She couldn't make herself say the words or even look at him. She hated herself for being so selfish. She hated Wyatt for putting her in this situation, and she hated Chris and the rest of them for leaving her. Katherine nodded her head. Wyatt embraced her, but she shook away from him and looked at the ground. She tried to hide her tears.

Wyatt looked out over his city again. The world was his. He had fought for it, and he would be damned before he let anyone, even his own family, take it from him. He had conquered good and evil with his own power. Now, he would end the rebellion with one final act. His family would have no choice to join him once they saw his power. Wyatt clung to that hope with all his might.

Prudence Johanna Halliwell ground her teeth and clenched her fists against the sounds of the cheering crowd. She wanted to tear into all their throats and rip their larynxes out. She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to ignore the aching in her chest. A hand gripped her shoulder, half comforting her and half holding her back. "Prue, if you can't do this, you need to turn back now. You're only putting us in danger otherwise," Chris said. He couldn't blame his younger cousin. He felt the same way towards the mass of people in front of them, but they were on a mission. A weak link could kill them all.

Prue shook her head. "I'm staying. I'm fine." She turned away from the crowd back to her family. They were in an ally just within seeing distance of the throng. Their chants echoed off the walls even this far away. The four Warren witches tried to ignore the sounds, but it was grating on all their nerves. Over the heads of the crowd Prue had seen the top of the wooden platform and the metal stake sticking from it.

Melinda fidgeted nervously against the wall. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, and hatred boiled under her skin. She had never been to a witch's burning before and never had this much been at stake. If they failed, they would all be killed most likely and someone else they loved would die as well. But if they succeeded... Melinda's heart fluttered. They would get back someone they thought they had lost forever.

"It was Katherine," Parker, her younger cousin had said firmly after she had a premonition. "She...she was burned at the stake."

Melinda remembered the horror on Parker's face, as well. Her hands had shaken, and she wasn't able to talk for several minutes after the premonition. There was no doubt what she had seen was true, but they almost hadn't acted. Her older cousin, Prue had been the only one to argue they shouldn't try to save Katherine. "It's a trap," she'd said, "there's no way Wyatt would let her die. He wants us to try to save her, so he can get to us."

Melinda realized what Prue had said made sense, but no one had listened. Family came first, always, and Katherine and Wyatt would always be family.

Henry Jr, the only other member of the rescue party stood on the edge of the ally glaring at the mass. He clenched his jaws and flexed his massive arms. "I wish I could strangle them all," he growled. "They're monsters. All of them."

Chris Halliwell glanced at each of his three family members and wondered if they would all come out of this alive. They had never attempted to stop a burning. They were too public, with too many different factions lurking around waiting for someone to do exactly what they were doing. If even one thing went just a little wrong, they could very well be attending their own burning soon. "They're not our focus right now," Chris didn't let his mind wander on the 'what-ifs' or on the gathering of people. "Our mission is to get her and get out."

Chris wished he'd come alone. It would have been a lot harder for him to get Katherine and himself out of here alive, but at least no one else in his family would have been put in danger. Everyone wanted to help in the rescue though, even Prue who was dead set against it. Chris had hesitated most on choosing her, but he knew Prue would come no matter what he told her. Their family's vendetta against the Hunters was personal, but Prue's ran the deepest. She had watched her own mother, Phoebe, be publicly executed by the Hunters five years ago.

"Are we all clear on the plan?" Chris put aside all his other thoughts and instead focused entirely on the mission in front of him.

The three other Halliwells nodded. "Too bad," Henry muttered, "we can't just light their asses up."

Chris hissed at him. Prue's face drained of color, but she kept her expression emotionless. "Don't worry. We will soon."

Chris didn't have time to think about her words because just then the mass erupted into cheers that forced them all to cover their ears. They each walked to the end of the ally this way. The multitude of people had turned to chaos, but the Halliwells weren't paying attention to them anymore. On the platform guarded by two huge demons and a tall slim man dressed in all white, a young woman with bright red hair was being tied to the stake.

She was clothed in a ripped dress. Even from where they stood they could see the dried blood caked on her skin and matted in her hair. Melinda reached for Chris's hand. This was their sister, maybe not entirely by blood, but she had always been there with them until she joined Wyatt. They loved her like a sister. Chris gripped Melinda's hand in his. He motioned with his fingers. Henry nodded and disappeared in bright white lights. Prue hesitated a second. She glared defiantly at the crowd. Chris thought she was going to blow their cover or abandon them, but she too disappeared another second later.

The plan was simple. It had to be. If one thing went wrong, they would all die. Chris and Melinda were going to meld themselves into the crowd in the madness. Their faces were almost as famous as Wyatt's, but no one would be looking for them. They would all be too focused on the burning. At the last possible second, Melinda would freeze the city block. Henry, who would be positioned close by would orb in to fight off any demons who appeared to guard Katherine. Chris had to stay with Melinda because she had no power of transportation. Prue would use her invisibility to make her way onto the platform, grab Katherine and beam them both out. Henry, Chris, and Melinda would follow her as soon as she was gone.

Simple, but there was still too much room for error. They had no idea who was in the crowd or who would appear. For all they know, it was a trap. Chris had the sinking feeling Prue had been right. He should call the mission off right now, but he couldn't. He couldn't watch another person he loved be killed by the Hunters.

Prue hid herself in the shadows between two buildings just outside the main body of people. She forced herself to catch her breath because she had started to hyperventilate. She glowered at the man dressed in an all white suit. He had been there at her mother's burning. He had thrown the torch and laughed as she screamed. Prue tried to shake away the echo of her mother's agonized shrieks. She hadn't known her daughter was watching.

Prue lost control of her breathing again. She leaned against the wall for support and slid to her knees. She wrapped her arms around herself. "I can't..." She gasped.

The man began to speak. The crowd instantly grew quiet. "This is a momentous day in our history." He had to pause here at the the multitude erupted in a chants. Prue was behind the platform, so she only saw his back. But she knew the thin-lipped smirk that he would be wearing. It haunted her still in her sleep. "Today, we will not just rid the world of a great evil commonly referred to as a 'witch'," his tone drug on the word as if it caused him pain to even say it, "but, some of you unfortunate souls will recognize that this...creature of darkness is no regular monster. She," he paused and turned around. He ran his fingers through her matted hair. Katherine, who had been standing tall spit blood on his face. Crimson stained his face and the front if his suit. The onlookers exploded in cries of man smiled, wiped the blood away, and turned back to his audience. He waved for them to settle down, but it was minutes before he could begin talking again. The man wasn't in a hurry however. He wanted to bask in the glory of this moment when he would exterminate yet another being of evil.

When the crowd had settled, he took another step closer to Katherine only this time he grabbed the hair closest to her head and forced it back. He ran his long fingers across her throat. "This is a dreaded Halliwell, relative of our tyrant king." At the name Halliwell, another wave of insanity swept over the crowd.

Prue's anger drew her to her feet again. She could end him in one second. There were a few hundred people in between him and her, but she could beam to him, hidden by her own invisibility, and stab him before anyone knew what happened. She wouldn't be able to escape before the demons on the platform killed her, and Katherine might die as well. Chris, Melinda, and Henry would know she had gone behind their back. They would be angry, but they would escape. She could kill him. Everything inside her screamed at her to go. She took a step forward, when another, familiar and deafening scream pierced her ears.

Payton Halliwell scanned the crowd looking for any sign of her family, but there were too many people. Even from her rooftop perspective she couldn't find them. When the two demons appeared carrying a semi-unconscious Katherine, Payton had to cover her ears from the throng's shouts. She kept her gaze locked on the redhead. She was covered in blood. Payton assumed it was hers. She hadn't seen her cousin in almost four years, but she knew it was her. She gripped the edge of the building to steady herself. A man wearing all white ascended to the platform. Payton knew who he was as well. Bile filled her mouth and she thought she was going to vomit, but she choked it down. "Murderer," she hissed. Her oldest sister Prue had described him to her one night when Prue had woken up, shaking and screaming, from a nightmare of their mother's murder.

Prue had tried to keep her from coming, but Payton wanted to see him, the man responsible for her mother's death. She wanted to see the face of the man who had taken the most important person in her world away from her. She needed a face for her monster. Payton had snuck out of the the resistance's stronghold without really knowing exactly what she wanted to do. Seeing him, though, she realized that's all she had wanted. Now, she just wanted him dead.

She didn't even hear the sound of jingling bells behind her. "Payton, it's been such a long time."

Payton whipped around at his voice. "Wyatt," she gasped. If she hadn't seen Katherine in four years, it'd been twice that since she'd seen Wyatt. He seemed to have grown a whole foot taller, and his clothes fit snug against his massive form. He was dressed in all black, and his blond curls fell past his shoulders. As always, his piercing blue eyes caught and held her gaze.

Wyatt grinned at his little cousin. Despite the circumstances, he was happy to see her. It'd been so long since he'd seen any of his family. He was aware of his job, but for right now, he just wanted to talk to her. He almost hadn't recognized her. When they had last saw each other, she was only a little girl, now she was a young woman. "How old are you now? Fourteen?"

Payton licked her lips. Her mouth had gone dry. She couldn't find the words to answer his question until a few seconds after he'd asked it. "Sixteen," she breathed. Wyatt was standing in front of her. She almost couldn't believe it. She hadn't seen her cousin since he went crazy and took over the world. The man standing in front of her didn't make sense with the boy she remembered in her head. Sad, she thought, he looks sad.

Wyatt whistled taking a step closer. Payton retreated until she was pressed completely against the ledge of the roof. The danger of her situation was beginning to set in. This wasn't her cousin Wyatt. This as the dictator of the world. She should run now while she could, but she didn't want to. She missed him, or rather who he used to be. "You're getting too old, but, I don't think, old enough to be watching that," he motioned with his head down to the mass of people who kept cheering. "Does Prue know?" He meant it as a joke, but by her expression he could tell the question made her mad.

"Don't talk about her," Payton was surprised at her own anger, but it wasn't right, him saying her name. She didn't know why.

"I'll take that as a no," Wyatt chuckled, but it was empty. He grimaced. "Is she down there? Is Chris?" Wyatt peaked over the edge of the roof, but he wasn't close enough to see anything except the very corner of the multitude of people.

Payton remembered what Prue had said about a trap. You were right, she thought. Payton knew she had to keep Wyatt here until her family could get Katherine out, but if Katherine was in on it, shouldn't she warn them before they could save her?

Payton scowled at him. She knew what she had to do. If they tried to get to Katherine, they would all fall right into Wyatt's trap. "How could you work with them, Wyatt," his name felt weird on her lips, "after what they did?" She didn't wait for an answer. She doubted there was one. She turned around and inhaled to scream her warning, but before she could let it out, something hard wrapped around her and pulled her back.

Wyatt knew what she was planning before she even turned around. He cupped his hand at his side. Her small body flew through the air. She landed in his arms. She tried to struggle, but he was much stronger. Wyatt groaned as her foot connected with his shin. "Dammit!" He huffed. "Quit!" He yanked her arm back behind her back, and she squealed in pain.

Payton tried to beam away, but something blocked her magic and held her in place. It was then she noticed the blue, wavy tint her surroundings had. He had her under his force field. Fear gripped her. She started to flail to try and get out of his arms, but he wouldn't let go. "Prue!" She yelled even though she knew it was useless. Her sister didn't even know she was here. No one did. I'm going to die, she thought.

Wyatt drug his cousin to the edge of the building. "Scream!" He ordered.

At first, Payton didn't understand, but then Wyatt forced her arm further up her back. She gasped as pain shot through her shoulder. She felt the tendons stretching to their maximum. "Scream," he demanded again.

"Go. To. Hell." she gritted through the pain.

Wyatt yanked again. This time something snapped in her shoulder. The crowd below was quiet with expectancy and completely focused on the Man in White. Their silence was shattered by Payton's shriek.

Katherine knew what that scream meant. She tried to block the sound of it, but she couldn't. It struck her like a physical force and knocked the breath out of her. She hated herself. She wanted to die; she deserved it. From the moment Wyatt told her his plan she had prayed her family wouldn't come, but they had. After everything she'd done to them, they'd still come for her. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Chris spun around, searching the rooftops for the source of the scream. He felt like he should know who it belonged to, and that caused him stomach to sink. Melinda grasped his hand tighter. "Chris," she whispered so no one could here her, "what was that?"

Chris shook his head. The crowd around them was just as confused as well. Murmured conversations swept over the audience. Everyone turned to the Man in White expectantly. He grinned down at his followers, and nodded to the two demons present. They erupted in flames and disappeared. The crowd muttered, but remained quiet. "My friends," the man bellowed happily, "do not fear! In preparation for an attempted rescue of this...beast...I put up extra guards. It seems they have caught one."

Melinda hissed causing the people next to her to grimace. She ducked her head and avoided they're eyes. If someone recognized them, the whole mission would be blown, and Katherine would die. But if what that man said was true, one of their family could already be in danger. "Jo," Melinda whispered the nickname of their cousin Prue. It came from the beginning of her middle name Johanna.

Chris nodded. He had enough experience to know that the mission was already over. If one of their covers was blown, they had no chance of rescuing Katherine, but he wasn't ready to give up yet. They still had time. Chris scanned the rooftops again, and that's when he saw her. He grabbed his little sister's arm and pointed. Melinda followed his gesture and gasped. "Payton." Within seconds, the entire crowd had spotted the black outline atop one of the eastern buildings.

"Let's go," Chris gripped her wrist and started to meld away in thousands of white orbs. The sinking feeling in his stomach grew stronger. This is all wrong, he thought.

Melinda heard the people around her gasp in shock and anger when the orbs appeared. "No," she said, and at the last second pulled away. Chris disappeared leaving her stranded in the middle of the crowd. The man's eyes beside her widened in recognition.

"Witch!" He screamed. "It's another Halliwell!"

Hands gripped her before she could move, but Melinda didn't need to fight them. She flicked her wrists, and everything paused. "Dammit!" She cursed as she pried their hands off her. She stared straight ahead at the platform where the Man in White stood motionless, and Katherine was watching the rooftops. She was going to save her sister. Whatever trouble Payton was in, Chris could handle it. Katherine needed Melinda. She pushed her way through the crowd until she was only a few feet from they base of the platform. Katherine still wasn't looking at her. Melinda found the stairs that led to the top and started to climb them. She prayed that whatever was happening on the roof would keep the demons busy. She knew she could kill them if it came down to a fight. She may not have the power of her brothers, but she was still a Halliwell witch. Melinda wanted to put as much distance between herself, Katherine and the mob as possible before they unfroze. She only had maybe a couple minutes left before her magic wore off then they would come looking.

She was only a few feet from Katherine before her sister saw her. "Melinda," she looked dazed.

Melinda tried not to look at Katherine's wounds. She was very aware of the Witch Hunters' forms of torture. She had treated some of the lucky victims who had somehow managed to escape and make it to the stronghold. Katherine's fingers would all be twisted and broken, her back covered in lash marks, her knees and elbows would be bloated and red from electrocution wires. Melinda forced herself to keep eyes on Katherine's face, even as she unhooked her hands from the chains behind her.

Katherine tried to speak, to tell Melinda to run away, that she wasn't worth it, but she kept quiet. If Melinda left, she would be alone again. She glanced at the frozen Man in White and shuddered. In the back of her mind, she still heard his pleased laughter as she screamed from his torture. If Melinda left her, she would never escape him. Fear kept her silent.

Melinda loosed Katherine's hands successfully. "Can you walk?" She asked.

Katherine nodded. "But I'll need help." She didn't ask where Chris was. She knew the answer. Katherine looked at the roof where she knew Wyatt would be and wondered if he had already succeeded. Melinda followed her gaze.

She frowned. It still didn't make sense. Why was Payton even here? She was supposed to stay at the stronghold while they rescued Katherine. The young girl had almost cost them the mission. Maybe she had. They weren't out of this yet. Melinda had confidence in her brother. He would never let anything happen to any of them. Payton would be safe. Melinda's job was to make sure Katherine would be too. "Let's go." She said grimly. She wrapped Katherine's arm over her shoulder. The other witch groaned in pain, but didn't complain.

Melinda looked for somewhere they could go. She cursed her inability to transport herself with magic. They had planned a rendezvous point, but it was miles away. Chris was supposed to take her there. She spotted an ally that would lead out of the square into the outer part of town. "There is where we're going. Can you make it?"

Katherine nodded. Her body was shaking from exertion and shots of pain, but she would do anything if meant being away from this place.

She kept glancing back at the roof wondering what was happening. She yelled at herself in her mind to tell Melinda to leave her, to go help Chris, but she didn't. Seeing Melinda again made her remember all the things she had lost when she joined Wyatt. This was her chance to get it all back.

Wyatt waited for the first of his family to arrive like he knew they would. Their bonds as a family were still intact, and that made them weak. He planned to exploit that weakness to the maximum. "You son of a bitch," Payton growled in his arms. She didn't fight him anymore because every time she moved white hot lances of pain shot through her arm and blurred her vision. "I hope you rot in hell and I'm the one that puts you there!"

Wyatt chuckled at her empty threat. "You have your mother's spirit, and Prue's as well if I remember correctly."

Payton hissed at him. "Don't you ever talk about my mother. You lost that right the day you abandoned us." It was harsh, and she felt him flinch behind her. She didn't care though. All the pain and rage she'd felt towards him and never been able to express was pouring out of her.

"You abandoned me," he said sternly, but even then Payton could hear some other emotion. Regret? "I gave you the option. I offered you everything."

"Please, Wyatt, you chose evil and power because you couldn't handle losing Piper." Payton regretted her words because she knew they would sting him deeper than anything else ever could.

"How dare you!" He threw her to the ground. She tried to avoid making contact on her shoulder, but she yelled again as it hit the concrete. Her vision blurred, and she felt nauseous. Her arm felt like it was on fire, but she forced herself to look at him. He was angry. His startling blue eyes, inherited from his father, glared down at her with unchecked hatred. She cringed under his anger, but kept his gaze. If she was going to die, she was doing to die with dignity.

"Piper would have never wanted this," she said trying to ignore how hard it was to stay conscious through the pain.

Wyatt growled. "Don't you dare tell me-"

A gasp of shock and anger interrupted him. Prue glared at Wyatt from across the roof. She had beamed here expecting a demon. What she saw froze her in her tracks. "You," she hissed. Looking at her eldest cousin, Prue felt no sense of kinship. The love they had shared had withered and died with her mother. She had seen and experienced too much pain because of him to feel anything but hatred towards the man who had stolen everything from her and her family. She knew Chris and Melinda still clung to the hope that he could be saved, but everyone else knew the truth. He was a monster who needed to be killed.

Wyatt turned his focus to Prue. Anger steeped dangerously under his skin. "We've been waiting for you."

Prue glanced down at her sister then back at Wyatt. "Are you all right, Payton?"

"Prue," Payton winced as she attempted to shift her weight to be able to see her sister better. "Prue, you have to leave."

Prue noticed her sister's grimace and looked for any sign that she was hurt. She saw her right shoulder was sitting at an odd angle and her arm hung uselessly at her side. Anger, like she hadn't felt since her mother's murder, erupted and overflowed into her veins. Adrenaline empowered her. She knew then that if it came to a fight, Wyatt would lose, and that encouraged her even more. Wyatt had nothing to fight for except power. She fought for family, and that made her stronger. She just had to get passed his force field. "I'm not going anywhere," she spat.

Wyatt smirked at his cousin, but she could see the disappointed look on his face. He kept looking at the sky and glancing back towards the crowd that was suddenly very quiet. It's Chris, she realized, that's what this is all about. He wants Chris.

Wyatt scowled as another second went by and his brother still hadn't shown up. He knew he was here. Chris would never let this many members of their family go on a mission without him, especially one like this. But where was he?

Must you always keep me waiting, Brother.

Two streams of blue and white orbs glided down from the sky. The sound of jingling bells rang in their ears. "Finally," Wyatt grinned. He told himself he was only excited to see his brother because he would once and for all prove who was the more powerful witch, but underlining all that, he felt the love for his brother he'd never been able to get rid of. No matter how many times Chris betrayed him, Wyatt knew he would take him back in an instant.

Chris and Henry Jr. landed next to each other. "Dammit, Mel-" Chris stopped when he saw who was standing in front of him. "Wyatt," he breathed.

"Chris, Henry, so nice of you to join us. Prue and I were just catching up." Wyatt was undaunted by his family's glares. He was used to it by now. If they wanted to be enemies, then he would be their enemy.

"Cut the shit, Wyatt." Henry growled. He saw Payton lying on the ground by his feet. His force field extended in several feet from him in every direction. Henry knew there was no getting by it. To save Payton, they would have to get him to lower it.

Chris put a withholding hand on his hot-headed cousin. Henry was Paige's son through and through, right down to the never-say-die attitude. Prue was standing between them and Wyatt and Payton. He stepped forward, placing himself in front of her. He heard her huff and sidestep to be beside him. Henry moved to his other side.

"Wyatt, let her go. She hasn't done anything." Chris ordered even though he knew it was futile. His brother had never listened to him, but this wasn't a game anymore. Chris tried to find any trace of his brother in the man's eyes, but there was nothing. Chris attempted to convince himself that Wyatt would never be capable of hurting one of them, but he wasn't so sure anymore.

Wyatt mocked surprise. "Hasn't done anything? She's is a member of the Resistance Alliance, a terrorist organization bent on eradicating peace. She has, on more than one occasion, conspired against his majesty. She has disobeyed the high king by knowingly partaking in activities that could directly or indirectly harm the empire. May I remind you, all of you, that even one of these crimes is punishable by death?"

Prue hissed, and again, Chris had to restrain his family. "If you even touch her," she spat, "I will jump through that God-damned force field and end you myself."

Wyatt's eyes twinkled with amusement. Chris grimaced. Good things never happened to them when Wyatt got that look. It was the same one Wyatt had when Chris had first told him he would never join him. Wyatt believed he was in complete control right now, and the terrifying thing was, he is. "Now, now, Prue. There's no need to resort to violence. Since she is family," he bent down to stroke her hair. Payton knocked his hand away. The motioned jarred her dislocated shoulder and she groaned. Prue growled a warning. Wyatt chuckled and grabbed her by both arms and pulled her into his embrace. Payton thought she was going to pass out from the sudden motion. She bit back the scream. "I will make an exception. If, all of you," he said the words pointedly, "will join me in my mansion, and give up this futile 'resistance' I will drop all previous charges against her and the rest of you."

"Go to hell," Henry grunted. "You're even crazier than I thought if you think we'd do that."

Chris shot his cousin a please-shut-up look. Henry ignored it. He was tired of Wyatt strutting around like he was something special. Wyatt shook his head. "Chris, I would have thought you'd have more discipline among your ranks."

"Just let her go, Wyatt. This has gone far enough." Chris met Payton's eyes. She was trying to be strong, but he could see the fear there as well. He was going to save her. No matter what it cost.

"Exactly. This has gone far enough. You're little resistance is starting annoy me."

"You mean threaten you," Henry interrupted. Chris glared at him again.

"This isn't helping Payton," he whispered.

Wyatt smirked. "Don't flatter yourself, Henry. The only reason the Rebel Alliance is still standing is because I let it. This," he looked down at Payton, "is me ending it. You have to choose, Brother, which one is more important, your resistance or your family."

Prue side-glanced at him. "Chris," she breathed where only he could hear. He heard the desperation in her voice though. This was her sister, her little sister. Since her mother's death five years ago, Prue had devoted herself to keeping her sister's safe. They were her world, and they were a huge part of his. He had sworn to protect them.

But he had also sworn himself to the resistance. He had given people hope. If he stopped now, if he quit and gave into Wyatt, that would all be shattered.

"Wyatt, let her go, I'll come with you."

Henry pulled Chris backwards. "Are you crazy?"

Chris didn't break his focus on Wyatt. "It's the only way to save her and the resistance." He added the last two words under his breath. Henry stared at him, but he didn't make another move.

Wyatt knew what his brother was doing. He was trying to save Payton and preserve the resistance. "That's not going to work, Chris."

"Wyatt, this is ridiculous. Let her go, and you can have me! That's what you want isn't it?"

"No, Chris," Payton said, but no one heard her except Wyatt.

Prue took a step towards them, but Chris held her arm. She glared back at him, but she didn't fight his hold. He saw the panic in her eyes. He understood. If Wyatt had Mel...he'd do anything to save her.

But he couldn't risk the rest of his family. Wyatt had Payton, but if he gave in, he could have them all. "Wyatt..." Chris saw no way out of this. "Dammit, stop this!"

"Now, Chris, or I can't be held responsible for what has to be done." Wyatt pulled Payton closer. Payton knew the decision Chris was going to make. He wasn't going to save her. He wasn't going to put the rest of the family in danger. She stared at Prue who stared back. She tried to tell her sister it was okay, that this was the right thing, but she knew Prue would never except that.

I love you, she mouthed.

"No!" Prue screamed. She lunged for the force field. It flung her backwards when she came into contact with its surface.

"Prue!" Henry, Chris, and Payton yelled. Henry ran to her side.

Chris glared at Wyatt. "Wyatt, stop!"

"You did this, Chris! The moment you decided to fight me. You did this! Not me!"

The impact of the force field rendered Prue useless. Her arms and legs didn't work, and she couldn't think clearly. But she knew someone she loved was in danger. She tried to stand, but she fell back down. Disoriented, she attempted to focus in the direction she heard Wyatt yell.

Her vision was blurry, but she could still see what happened next. Wyatt dropped Payton to the ground. One of his hands clenched into a fist in front of him. Her body stiffened. She clutched her neck as she was denied air. Her feet came off the ground as his telekinetic hold pulled her into the air.

"No!" Prue lunged again, but she barely moved.

"Payton!" Henry shouted. He held out his hand, but nothing happened. His cousin didn't disappear in orbs and reappear next to him.

Chris didn't react at first. This wasn't happening to him. There was no way Wyatt would do this, but this wasn't Wyatt. Chris knew that. Wyatt, his brother, had been gone for a long time. His brother had left them after Piper's death. He had run away because he couldn't handle the hurt. He had left them to deal with the monster who took his place, and now that monster was killing Payton.

"Wyatt!" Chris screamed. Anger, betrayal, and guilt built up over the last eight years rose to the surface. "Stop!" But his brother wasn't listening. He wasn't even looking at him. He was focused on the suffocating Payton. Chris yelled again. Lightening sparked from his fingertips. He knew he alone had the power to break through Wyatt's force field. One shot from his lightening, and Wyatt would be done. Ended.

Dead.

And everything in him deflated.

The lightening went out, and he fell to his knees. "I can't." This was Wyatt. No matter what else happened. Wyatt was still his brother. He would not be responsible for the death of another family member, not Wyatt. Prue kept yelling. Henry was holding her back, looking away from Wyatt. But Chris forced himself to watch as Wyatt killed Payton.

"I'm sorry." he mouthed even though he knew it was pointless.

Payton's chest begged for air. Her lungs jumped and writhed inside her trying to suck in any minuscule about of air. Her throat burned. Rasping sounds kept coming out of her mouth. Her glared at Wyatt. She knew she was going to die, but she would die with as much dignity as possible. She just wished she could see her sisters one more time, to tell them she wasn't scared. That she was going to get to see Mom, and Aunt Piper and Paige again. Dad would be there, and Henry Senior. Even Grandpa. So many people she loved and missed so much it hurt.

Wyatt watched the lights slowly dim in Payton's eyes. His own chest was aching with hurt, but he pushed that to the side. He saw out of the corner of his eyes lightening crack from Chris's hands. For a moment, Wyatt thought his brother would attack, but the next second Chris was on his knees. Wyatt smiled at his brother's weakness. He had broken Chris.

Payton's body lurched one final time, then she went limp.

Prue screamed. "No! Payton! No!" She collapsed to the ground completely. Her body was wracked with sobs she couldn't control. "No!" This wasn't real. Payton wasn't dead. Her body felt numb. None of this was real. It was just a nightmare. She would wake up any second to see both of her sisters resting peacefully beside her.

Payton wasn't dead.

She couldn't be.

But she was.

Prue stared at her sister's body. "No," she gasped.

Henry Jr. held his older cousin in his arms. She sobbed freely and uncontrollably. He had never even seen her teary eyed. Prue was the picture perfect image of strength. She never showed any form of weakness because she knew her enemies would pounce the moment she did. Now, though, her strength was gone. She had been cracked to a point Henry thought she would never recover from. He hated Wyatt. He had done this. He had torn them apart and sent the world to hell.

It was Wyatt's fault.

It's all my fault, Chris thought. I'm sorry. He saw her body go limp. He flinched as Wyatt dropped her to the ground like she had never been a person, like she wasn't family. Wyatt stared at her body without any emotion. He looked back at Chris. He saw the accusation in his eyes. The guilt ripped Chris to shreds. "You did this, Brother," and he was gone. Black and blue orbs swallowed him. Guilt swallowed Chris.

It was a physical weight on his shoulders he'd always been able to carry before, but not this. He had chosen to let her die instead of killing Wyatt. His heart moaned in agony. How could he be so cruel? How could he choose the monster Wyatt had become over Payton, the energetic, always smiling, beautiful woman she was becoming?

He watched as Prue crawled over to her sister and tried to revive her. It was useless. Chris had let her die. She was dead. It was his fault.

The worst part was he knew he would do it again.


	2. Darker Days Ahead

**So here's the second chapter. I apologize for the uber long wait. I picked back up a story that I thought I was done with. Plus, sometimes real life can be hectic! I don't think the next update will take as long as this one, but honestly who knows. This chapter's just kind of everyone dealing with Payton's death. I hope you like it! Reviews are like sweet, sweet candy to me. :)**

* * *

"Chris," Henry Jr. said. His cousin was only a few feet from him, but to Chris his voice sounded like it was miles away. "We have to get out of here. The Hunters..."

Henry's words brought Chris back to reality. He pushed aside all of his emotions. He knew they were going to overwhelm him later, but right now his family needed him. Chris stood to his feet. His body was numb, but his mind was running a thousand miles an hour. He saw Prue cupping Payton's body in her arms. Her sobs rocked his unsteady control over his emotions. He walked numbly over to her. "Prue," he whispered. He reached out his hand to touch her shoulder.

She threw it away from her refusing his comfort. "Why couldn't you say yes?" She screamed not turning from her sister. "All you had to do was say yes..." her agony was evident in her voice. She sounded weak, alone, scared. Chris frowned, but he wouldn't let anyone else die today.

"We have to get back to the stronghold." He ordered.

Prue shuddered, but a moment later a pink glow enveloped her and Payton's body. They were gone almost instantly. "What about Melinda?" Henry Jr. stood beside him.

"I'll go down there and find her. We'll be back to the stronghold soon. Henry..." Chris couldn't convey all his emotions with any amount of words. He looked at his cousin and begged him to understand.

Henry met Chris's eyes. They were tortured, self-doubting, guilt ridden. "I know, Chris. This wasn't your fault. Wyatt did this. Prue will see that eventually. It's just-" he didn't have to describe it. Both of them had lost at least one parent to tragedy. They knew what it was like to lose someone they loved, but Phoebe's death had changed Prue in ways that no one else could understand. For months, she didn't say anything. She almost starved herself to death. On the nights she had been able to manage a few hours of sleep, she woke up screaming from nightmares. The depression nearly drove her insane. Only two people had been able to bring her out of her darkness: her sisters. She became devoted to them. They were her world. She did everything to protect them. On more than one occasion it had almost cost her her life. Now, she had lost one of them. Neither men knew how she would make it through this death.

Henry knew what Chris was asking of him without words. Chris needed him to take control of the situation while he searched for Melinda. Henry also knew that it would take Chris a long time to forgive himself for Payton's death, if he ever could. Every death, even if it wasn't a family member, weighed on Chris's shoulders. The young man was burdened with the world, but it was a burden be bore better than anyone else could.

Henry disappeared in a swirl of blue and white orbs. Chris glared at the ground and followed suit. He landed in an alley not far from where the crowd was still gathered. They were all frozen. Melinda, he realized. He had no idea how long the magic would last or when reinforcements would show up. Demons were probably already lurking around every corner trying to find the attackers. The stake where Kathryn had been tied only minutes before was now empty.

Things changed so quickly, Chris thought, but he wouldn't let himself stray from the task at hand. He couldn't lose Melinda today too. Wyatt could be anywhere. If he got his hands on Melinda...Chris called out to his sister telepathically. Their bonds had always been strong, even since they were little kids. The nine biological children of the Charmed Ones, a generation that became known to the magical community as the Blessed, shared a link even greater than that of the Charmed Ones. They were stronger together, stronger than any other fighting force for good or evil, but everything changed once Wyatt began his conquest for power.

Their bonds were shattered. Only now, years after, were inklings of the power they had shared beginning to return. Chris had hoped that meant that some part of Wyatt was returning to them too, but what happened on that rooftop destroyed any hope of that. Melinda didn't respond to his call, so he attempted to sense for her. Even that power was spotty at times since the Elders were decimated, but he knew he had to find her quickly. He broadened his telepathic search to encompass three blocks in any direction.

Chris felt her almost instantly. She was close, probably holed up in an abandoned building waiting for him. She would have Kathryn. A sickening thought crossed his mind. Chris immediately orbed to where he had felt her presence. Prue's words before they had left the stronghold on their rescue mission played over in his head. "He would never let her die. He just wants us. This is a trap."

It was. She had been right, and it had cost Payton her life. He prayed his mistake wouldn't take Mel's as well. "Melinda," he said as soon as he landed. He had been right about one thing. He was in an abandoned factory. Most of the mortal jobs fell through except for weaponry after Wyatt took over. Even that was regulated by him now. Light shined in through high thin windows. Shadows crossed creating a mirage of images. It was hard to orient himself in the strange light. "Melinda," he hissed again.

"Chris? Chris, is that you?" Melinda's voice whispered from somewhere behind him. He turned around. There was a long row of what looked like emptied crates.

"Melinda, yes, it's me. Where are you?" He was panicking, and he could feel it. He wouldn't believe they were safe until they were in the stronghold away from the threat of Wyatt and the Hunters.

Something shifted inside one of the crates. Melinda stepped out. At first, he thought she was limping, but in the next second he saw that she was supporting someone else. Her flame red hair shined in stark contrast to the darkness around them. Chris sprinted to them and without thinking, grabbed them both in a deep hug.

Kathryn huffed and held in a scream as Chris pressed against her wounds. She nearly fell over when he backed away from her. "Chris!" Melinda scowled resettling Kathryn's shoulders on hers.

Chris muttered an apology. "We have to get out of here. Now. Give me your hand." Some part of Chris knew he should leave Kathryn here. She posed a threat to the rest of his family. He had already sacrificed one today...he stopped that thought and looked at the facts. There was no proof that Kathryn had had anything to do with this. Once they got to the stronghold, Wyatt wouldn't be able to track her. She wouldn't be a threat especially in the condition she was in now, and he knew Melinda well enough to know that she wouldn't leave here without Kathryn. Leaving Melinda behind was not an option.

Melinda took Chris's hand thankfully. She smiled at Kathryn. "We're going home," she whispered. In the darkness, she didn't see Kathryn frown and bow her head. She looked at Chris from the top of her eyes. She wondered who it had been or if Wyatt had succeeded. She could see it in Chris's eyes, even if Melinda couldn't, that Chris was struggling to keep it together. She felt his panic because it existed in her too. They shared in the guilt. A moment later, the trio was absorbed by bright blue and white lights then disappeared.

They didn't hear the laughter from the dark corner behind them. Wyatt Halliwell stepped forward. He looked at where his family had stood only moments before and grinned. "Soon, Brother, you will have no choice but to join me. My control will be complete." Thousands of black and dark blue orbs encircled him and flowed to the ceiling.

* * *

Parker Halliwell paced the floor of the stronghold. Her eyes were set on some location miles away. Her brow was furrowed in. "They should be back by now," she muttered, "something's wrong. We need to go after them. We have to-"

"Parker," a young man said. He looked to be in his early twenties and was sitting at a long table, the only piece of furniture in the room. Nine chairs were positioned around it. He occupied one of them, the rest were empty. His dark brown, almost black eyes, hidden under long, blonde curls, followed Parker across the room and back. When the witch didn't answer him, he said her name louder.

Parker jumped at the sound of her name, but it pulled her back into reality. "What, Tanner?" She stopped to glare at him and placed her hands on her hips angrily.

"You worrying yourself to the grave isn't going to make them come home any sooner." Inwardly, he smiled at her. Her movements were so much like her older sister Prue's sometimes it was hard to tell them apart.

"Well, I'm sorry. We can't all be Mr. Cool. That's my family out there! Not that you would know-" Parker stopped her words. "Oh my God, Tanner. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to...it's just-" Parked pulled out the chair beside him. She laid her elbows on the table and folded her face into her hands. "If anything goes wrong..."

Tanner reached across the table and placed his hand on her knee comfortingly. "Parker, this is Prue and Chris we're talking about. Personally, I'm expecting them to come home telling us that they've cut the Witch Hunters' pen-" his words were cut off when a loud crash sounded from somewhere close by.

Parker reacted instantly, and Tanner was right behind her. "Parker, wait! You don't know-"

She stopped abruptly in front of him. He almost ran her over, but he managed to sidestep her. "Park, what is it?" His voice caught in his throat. His mind couldn't immediately register what was in front of him. Prue was bent over, cradling someone's body in her arms. Her torso blocked the other person's face. They had the petite build of a child. He could just barely see the tips of golden blonde hair...then he realized who Prue must be holding. Her sobs only justified what he feared.

"No," he heard Parker whisper beside him. He tried to grab for her, but he was too late. She bounded the last feet between them and Prue. She fell by her older sister's side. "No!" Parker shrieked. She bowed over whoever was in Prue's arms. Prue dragged her into a hold. Tanner saw Parker fall apart in her sister's arms. Parker yelled, and Prue tried to comfort her. Tanner bowed his head and looked away. He leaned up against the wall for support fearing his legs would give out from under him. They felt weak. His whole body did. He still couldn't process exactly what was happening. How had this happened? Payton wasn't on the rescue team. She was supposed to be waiting for their return. She was supposed to be being watched by Parker and himself.

Prue hugged Parker as tight as she could against her body. Parker sobbed into Prue's chest forgetting everything else except the wracking loss that rushed over her mercilessly. She couldn't look at Payton again. She had seen her sister's face the first moment she'd seen Prue, and Parker had known she was gone.

Prue tried to find words to comfort her little sister, but there were none. At least, there weren't any she could think of. Her own grief and guilt were ruling her right now. She tried to build herself back up for Parker, but the emotions were too raw, too painful.

"I don't...understand," Parker managed to moan between agonized sobs. "She...wasn't..."

"She was on one of the rooftops. Wyatt found her..." Prue squeezed Parker tighter and willed her words to not be true. She wanted to close her eyes off from the world. To retreat back somewhere safe and secure and escape all this hurt, but she knew she couldn't leave Parker alone. At least not yet.

"Wyatt?" Parker coughed as a sob caught in her throat. Wyatt had done this...Parker reached for Payton even if she couldn't look at her sister's face. She wanted Payton to be here, to suffer with them like they had suffered after the loss of their parents, but that was impossible now. Parker felt the tears rolling down her cheek unheeded. For once, she didn't care about who was watching her. None of that mattered because her sister, her little sister, was dead.

Tanner's eyes focused on the back of Prue's head at Wyatt's name. White hot anger flashed under his skin. Its intensity surprised him. He bang his fist against the wall. He yelled a curse word and glowered at the wall. She told them, he screamed inwardly, she told them this would happen, and now Payton was dead.

Tanner shifted his gaze towards Prue and Parker. Parker was holding onto Prue, but the elder sister's eyes were on him now. He didn't need an explanation in words to know what Prue was feeling. Tanner had never had anyone to protect him nor had he ever had anyone to protect until he came to the resistance, until he had met her, but he had been here when the Prue, Parker, and Payton had lost their mother. He knew the depression Prue went through after that death. He could see her fears written in those eyes. He knew she was reaching her breaking point again, and the only thing keeping her together was the girl in her arms.

He tried to form a smile or show any form of comfort to convince her that they could get through this, she could get through this, but he found that he couldn't. She closed her eyes and leaned against her younger sister. Tanner looked away. He shouldn't be here. He loved Payton, everyone who even shared a few words with her loved her, but this wasn't his place to mourn. He bowed his head and went to the end of the hallway to guard the entrance. The rest of the stronghold's residents would be curious what the noise had been. The last thing Prue and Parker needed was to be bombarded with questions right now.

Tanner sat down at the end of the hall and stared away from the sisters. He could hear them crying behind him. He wondered where Chris and the others were, but he knew Prue enough to realize that she wouldn't leave them stranded. They would be coming back to the stronghold soon. Tanner clenched his fists against his legs and exhaled slowly. He tried to relax his muscles, but he couldn't. Payton was dead. He sat like that for several minutes before he heard footsteps.

He stood to his feet to confront whoever was approaching. Henry Jr. rounded the corner in front of him. Without thinking, Tanner lunged at Henry. Tanner was older, but Henry was twice as thick and had several inches on him. However, Henry was caught off guard. Tanner's fist struck him in the cheek with a loud crack. Henry fumbled backwards a few feet. "What the hell?" he exclaimed glaring at Tanner. "What's gotten into you?"

Tanner shook his head in his hands. "I'm so sorry," he murmured. "I just..." he looked behind him. His shoulders slumped. He had never felt more useless.

Henry nursed his cheek. He could feel it swelling, but the pain was bearable. He sighed and looked past Tanner. He saw Parker and Prue on the ground. A small body laid behind them. "We need to get them somewhere...more private. I went around and told everyone to stay in their beds. I checked on Blake and Harper as well. I can't imagine..."

Tanner reached out and laid his hand on Henry's shoulder. The young men exchanged a look. Henry understood. There were questions that needed to be answered, but he couldn't answer them here. Not with Prue, Parker, and Payton lying out for everyone to see. "Not here." Henry sighed. "But where should we go? Do we really want them to have to take her to their suite?"

"No, take them to my room." Tanner ordered.

Henry Jr. nodded. His body moved, but his mind was still in slow motion. They had buried loved ones often enough they should be used to it, but he knew this was something no one could 'just get used to'. Each death rocked their worlds even more than the last, but this one was different. They had never buried one of their own. Payton was so young. Only his own sisters were younger. They did everything to protect her and in one moment it had been made meaningless. Something else had changed with Payton's death. Wyatt had not only attacked one of them, he killed one of them, mercilessly and without provocation. He targeted them; he targeted Payton. Henry ground his teeth together as he made his way to the sisters.

He gingerly laid his hands on Prue's shoulder. His older cousin shuddered, but she looked up at him. Henry felt his heart break at the terror in her eyes. It reminded him too much of the woman Prue had become just after her mother's death. They couldn't lose Prue like that again. Parker couldn't. He hoped Prue knew that. If she got lost again, she would be leaving her sister alone to face this. "We're going to take you to Tanner's room that way you can...be alone."

Prue nodded. She heard his words, but they didn't register with her brain. She felt Henry wrap his arms under her and lift her to her feet, but the action didn't feel real.

Henry supported Prue with one arm and Parker with the other. "Tanner, do you think you can..." Henry briefly glanced at Payton's body and instantly knew it was a mistake. His heart jumped to his throat. He choked audibly.

Tanner heard the other man's throat catch. His own stomach lurched at the thought of having to carry Payton's body, but he knew that no one else could. "Of course," he murmured.

"Payton..." Prue whispered. She turned to where she knew her sister's body should be. She was still lying on the ground. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were set in a natural curve. She looked like she was sleeping, but her chest remained still. Prue buckled in Henry's arms. She nearly fell to the ground, but the man caught her.

"Prue," he whispered, "she'll be right behind us. She'll be with Tanner..."

"No!" Prue said with startling strength. She pushed herself away from Henry and fell by her sister's side. "I can't leave her. Payton..." she wrapped her sister in her arms again and pushed her head into her chest.

Parker watched her sister. She dug herself deeper into Henry's arms and tried to hide her tears. This was too much for her. She wanted to be anywhere but here. She couldn't lose Payton and watch Prue fall apart in one day. Her heart was shattering, and she didn't have the strength to put it back together. Prue was her strength. If that was gone, she had nothing. "Please," she murmured into his chest, "please, get me away from here."

Henry heard Parker. He hugged her tighter and turned over his shoulder. Tanner nodded at him. "Go. I've got it here." Once again he tried to smile, but he found the expression impossible. Blue and white orbs carried Henry Jr. and Parker away.

Tanner sighed and watched Prue rock her sister back and forth in her arms. How many times had he watched her do that before? But there was something sickening and revolting about the action now. He lowered himself to his knees beside Prue. For the first time since he and Parker had found her, he touched her. Prue whimpered and didn't look away from Payton.

"Prue," her name sounded pathetic on his lips. He wanted it to convey everything he was feeling: his love for her, for Payton, his anger towards those responsible for doing this to her, his own sadness. But no matter how hard he tried, everything he thought of fell flat. He could feel her shaking under his palm. He rubbed his eyes with his other hand and wiped away his tears.

He gripped Prue's shoulder and made sure that she had a secure hold on Payton. Their forms wavered then disappeared.

* * *

Chris, Melinda, and Kathryn appeared inside a large open bedroom. A king sized bed in perfect order dominated the right side of the room. An old Victorian styled desk was pressed against the opposite wall. Papers, maps, and letters covered its surface. A few stray articles of clothing was the only other evidence that anyone lived here.

Kathryn collapsed completely in Melinda's arms. Chris instinctively reached to catch her. "She needs healing," Melinda said anxiously.

"Lay her on the bed," Chris ordered. He helped Melinda coax the semi-conscious Kathryn over to the edge of the bed. They laid her gently across it. Chris was able to survey her wounds for the first time. He ground his teeth together and had to look away long moments before he could control himself.

"They deserve to rot in hell," Melinda hissed quietly.

Chris frowned. "We all do." he murmured quietly where only he could hear it. Kathryn was dressed in a simple cloth gown that barely fell to her thighs. It was ripped in several spots in long gnashes as if it had been ripped at. Blood stained not only the dress, but her skin as well as if the monsters hadn't bothered to wash her after they beat her. Bruises covered her arms and legs. Some were in the shape of fingerprints. Those usually marred her wrists or neck. Her ankles were swollen and bruised as well. It looked like they were both broken. All her fingers and toes were set in odd angles that made Chris's skin crawl, but out of all her injuries, everything they'd done to her, her face was left in perfect condition. He even thought he saw evidence of blush across her cheeks.

She twitched every few seconds and whimpered as if she were reliving her torture. "They must have had her for days before they decided to execute her." Chris said. He raised his hands over her body. He had no idea whether this would work or not. Healing was a dying power. Once, it had represented the race of the whitelighters, now it mocked them. With the fall of the Elders, the whitelighters' magic had decreased almost into nonexistence. Witches had cried out to whitelighters who weren't able to answer their call. The race had fallen into disrepute. Only recently had they finally began to organize, under Chris's control, and begin to work to repair the damage Wyatt had caused. Their powers, however, were still weak. Healing had become dangerous. There was no guarantee it would work, and if it did, it was likely to cause the healer severe injury as it used the healer's energy to heal the victim. There were rumors of whitelighters attempting to heal only to die themselves as the magic drained them of their life force. As a result, healing was only used in the most dire of circumstances.

"Chris," Melinda touched her brother's arm. "Are you sure you have the energy? Someone else can do it. Maybe Henry or one of the other whitelighters. It doesn't have to be you."

"Yes, it does." he pulled his arm away from her. He was aware how sharp his tone and actions were, but Chris was barely keeping himself together. He still had to tell Melinda about Payton...

A dim golden glow emitted from his hands. It washed over Kathryn's body. The woman sighed in relief as a warm sensation spread over her.

The two other Halliwell's watched hoping that magic wouldn't let them down. Gut wrenching snaps made them flinch as Kathryn's bone realigned. Kathryn squirmed slightly every few seconds, but her face remained even. The bruises slowly disappeared before their eyes. Almost a minute later, Chris lowered his hands. He wavered on his feet.

"Chris!" Melinda caught him just before he fell. She lowered him on the bed beside Kathryn.

Chris's mind was swimming, but he knew that the magic had worked. He felt exhausted. Every part of his body felt like it weighed ten times more than it did. He couldn't fall asleep. He had to tell Melinda about...something. It was something important he knew, but his mind was clouded over in exhaustion. "Mel..." he started, but the action proved too much. His eyes closed, and he gave into the darkness.

Kathryn knew Chris was healing her, and she knew what a risk than entailed. It was one of Wyatt's favorite subjects to brag about: the defeat of the Elders and the subsequent disempowering of the whitelighters. She started to protest, but then she felt a calm spread over her. She could feel her injuries, some days old, begin to heal. She had almost forgotten what it was like to be whole. She sighed in ecstasy as the sensation continued to move over her body. When it was done, she swallowed and relished in the feeling of wholeness.

She opened her eyes. Chris was lying next to her. His eyes were closed. His breathing was fast but even. "Melinda..." She whispered. Her throat was sore, and it still hurt to talk. She attempted to sit up. The room started to spin, and she fell back against the bed.

"Easy," Melinda said. She helped Kathryn sit up then took a spot on the bed next to her. "How do you feel?"

"Light headed...but other than that I'm fine." Kathryn couldn't meet Melinda's eyes. Whatever emotions she found there, she knew she wouldn't be able to handle them, not knowing what she knew. How long would it be before Melinda found out that one of the people she loved was dead? How long until she knew Kathryn had been a part of it?

"Good. Can I get you anything? Water? Some food?" Melinda asked.

"No," but Kathryn's voice cracked.

"You need water. I'll be right back." Melinda rubbed Kathryn's arm, checked one more time that Chris was still okay, and left the room.

Kathryn rubbed her face in her hands. "I can't do this," she muttered. "I can't lie to them. I can't." Wyatt's orders echoed in the back of her mind. She was supposed to lead him to them, to commit the final act of betrayal. But hadn't she already? How could she do anything worse than be a part of killing one of them? Was giving them to Wyatt worse than that or was it the same thing?

She attempted to stand to her feet. She had to steady herself on one of the bedposts, but she was eventually able to walk on her own. Where was she going to go? The door was cracked open slightly, but she would have nowhere to go after that. She would likely run into someone who would think she was the enemy, and she couldn't defend herself like this.

Chris sighed heavily behind her. She turned, thinking he was waking up, but his eyes only stuttered open. His face contorted. "No..." he whispered.

Kathryn had to turn away. She hoped Melinda would come back soon. She had dreamed about nothing else than this moment for years. She was finally reunited with the only family she had ever known, but never in her worst nightmares had she imagined it being like this. "I'm a monster," she murmured. She dug her nails into the wood railing. "I have to tell them. I have to..." she knew she would lose them all over again. She might even lose her life, but she couldn't go on living with this guilt eating her from the inside out.

She had never hated Wyatt before this moment. She had believed in him and his cause. She had blindly turned her back as he slowly became the tyrant he was now. It was too late to turn back. She had allowed him to control her and turn her into a monster as well.

But I don't even know if he succeeded, she thought. For all I know, they could have all escaped.

Kathryn clung to that hope as blindly as she had clung to Wyatt's lies. She stared at her hands, now as perfect as they had been before the Hunters "captured" her. Wyatt had promised her that the Hunters wouldn't hurt her. He said it was all for show. Kathryn winced remembering the shock and fear of that first moment when she realized Wyatt had lied to her, and yet she hadn't given the Hunters anything they could use against him. She had protected him even when he abandoned her.

Chris stirred restlessly on the bed. His eyes moved sporadically under his eyelids. Kathryn hadn't seen her older brother in almost two years. The change in his appearance was startling. He had let his dark brown hair, inherited from his mother, grow out to almost cover his eyes. There were navy semi-circles lined under his eyes. His cheeks were hollow and sunken in. Maybe it was because of the toll healing her had exacted on him, but his skin was unhealthily pale. Something in Kathryn told her that Chris wasn't taking care of himself. She wanted him to open his eyes. She had always admired their vibrant intensity. She wanted to see that he still had something of the old world in him. She needed to know that Chris was still her brother.

But his eyes remained closed. She sighed and slid to to the ground at the base of the bed. She pulled her legs to her chest and buried her head between her knees. "I just can't lose them again...I can't..." she whispered.

Melinda made her way down the long hallway to the kitchen. There were so many things running through her mind. Kathryn was back. Kathryn was home. Sure, she wasn't her biological sister, but Melinda had the closest bond with Kathryn out of any of the other Halliwell children besides her brothers. They were only a few months apart in age. Kathryn was six months older than her, but that hadn't stopped her from treating Melinda like a little sister most of her life. They had been inseparable. When Piper died, they had grieved together. Melinda thought they would overcome it together too, but then the day came when Wyatt started his campaign for power and Kathryn joined him.

Melinda shook away the unwanted memory. That didn't matter now because she was here. She rounded the corner into the kitchen, and that's when she realized something was wrong.

The stronghold was home to as many magical beings as could be found. It was a haven for those who Wyatt or the Hunters had displaced or to anyone who just needed help. Some of the residents weren't even magical, but they were willing to fight for the resistance. The kitchen was the hub of the entire complex. Usually, no matter what time of day or night a person came through, it was filled with all sorts of people laughing, plotting, or arguing over food. It was empty now. The counters that lined the long walls were barren. The five large tables were empty. On one, three plates of food were left unfinished.

Her thoughts instantly went to her other family members who had been on the rescue mission. Melinda sprinted across the kitchen and into another hallway. She turned down two more hallways before she stopped in front of a plain door. She raised her fist and banged on the wood. "Henry! Henry, it's Melin-" The door opened.

A small girl, maybe twelve or thirteen, answered. Her large blue eyes were swollen and red. "Blake, what's wrong?" Melinda bent down and gathered the girl in her arms. Her heart raced, but she kept her breathing even. She looked passed the little girl to the bedroom beyond. Another girl, with a face shockingly similar to girl who was now in Melinda's arms, was lying on the bed. A stuffed animal was tucked under her chin. She stared at Melinda with the same expression that Blake had when she answered the door. "Where's Henry?"

The door opened wider. A woman pushed it out of the way. Melinda raised to her feet. Blake held onto her waist. Melinda gripped the girl tight. "Paige," she said. Her voice cracked. Something was very wrong. The woman's face was tearstained. She looked at Melinda, and the girl read the expression perfectly. "Who..." she managed to say before the lump in her throat formed.

"Payton..." Paige said quietly.

Melinda let out a sound of shock. She felt her legs grow weak under her. She made her way past her aunt and found a chair. Blake folded herself into Melinda's lap. Melinda clung to Blake grateful for something to hold onto. Paige closed the door behind her niece and walked to the bed. She sat down next to the other little girl who curled under one of Paige's arms.

Melinda held back sobs as best she could. If Blake hadn't been in her lap, she would have broken down there. Her heart felt like it was shattering in her chest. She didn't understand. How could it be Payton? She wasn't even there...the scream. That had been her. Payton must have snuck out of the stronghold somehow. "No..." she moaned covering her eyes with her hands.

Paige pulled her young daughter closer to her for support. She attempted to steady her voice before she began to speak. "Prue was right. It was a trap. Wyatt..." Paige couldn't finish. The sentence was too revolting to think much less speak. She still didn't believe this was real. Wyatt was a lot of horrible things, but she had never in her darkest reckonings imagined him capable of this. She had seen the evidence of it on Henry's face though. She wanted to be with Prue and Parker. She knew Prue would need it most of all, but she couldn't leave her daughters alone when something like this had happened.

Melinda let out a wail at the mention of Wyatt. "No...no...no..." she repeated until the word became meaningless. "He wouldn't...no..." she tried to process what her aunt had just told her, but her mind couldn't make sense of any of it. Wyatt wouldn't kill them. Wyatt was...what? Family? What did that mean? Melinda choked on her grief. Acid built in the back of her throat and mouth. She stood abruptly. Blake almost fell. Melinda ran to a door on her right. She leaned over the toilet and vomited until her stomach was empty. Her hands shook as she cleared the hair from her face. She backed against the smooth concrete wall and closed her eyes. "Not Payton...not Wyatt..."

Blake had started to follow Melinda into the bathroom, but Paige stood and stopped her daughter. "Stay out here with Harper, Sweetie. I'll go be with Melinda." Blake stared at her mother for a second.

"Okay. I will make sure that she is okay." Blake tried to smile, but for some reason she couldn't. She jumped onto the bed next to her twin sister and hugged her.

Paige stood in the doorway of the bathroom. Melinda's face was covered in sweat and tears. She sobbed quietly against the bathroom wall. Paige wanted to join her. She wanted to fall apart. They had never lost one of the Charmed children. It was a new kind of grief, one they weren't equipped to deal with, but she couldn't allow herself the luxury of mourning right now. There was still danger. She had to protect what was left of her family. "Melinda," Paige said as commanding as she could, but even to her her voice sounded weak.

The young witch turned to her aunt still however. "Where is Chris? Is he okay?" Paige asked.

Melinda nodded through her tears. She tried to wipe them away but more replaced them. "He's...in his room...with...Kat-" she stopped.

Paige's eyes widened. They flashed with newborn intensity as she perceived the danger they were in. "With who, Melinda?" She wanted to hear her niece say it though she already knew the answer.

"Kathryn," Melinda said feebly.

Paige turned on her heels instantly. "Blake, Harper, come with me." She grabbed each of their hands and pulled them to the door. Melinda chased after them.

"Paige, wait, it's not what you think!" Melinda found her aunt and cousins in front of another door across the hall. She started to say something but stopped as someone opened the door. A man with raven hair and grey eyes looked at Paige startled.

"Mistress Paige, what is wrong?" His eyes drifted from Blake to Harper and finally landed on Melinda.

"Can you watch the girls for me? There is something I need to...take care of."

The man's eyes were confused, but he nodded. "Of course. Is everything all right?"

"It will be." Paige bent down to face her daughters. "Mommy's going to be right back. She just has to go do something super fast. Can you be brave girls me?" Paige hated leaving her daughters, but this couldn't wait. How could she be here after what happened?

"Yes," Blake whispered. Paige could see it in her daughter's eyes that she was terrified. Paige wanted to envelope her in her arms and tell her everything was going to be okay, but she couldn't do that. She couldn't lie to daughter when so much was going on around them. She leaned in and kissed them both gently on the forehead.

"Thank you," she said to the man.

He smiled wearily. "Of course. Come girls. Your mother will be back before you know it." He glanced at Paige quickly as if testing her reaction to his words, but Paige already had her back turned on them. The door shut quietly. She stared at Melinda for a long moment, and Melinda wavered under her aunt's glare. She knew what Paige was thinking. She thought Kathryn had something to do with this, but she didn't know that Kathryn had very nearly died herself. There was no way Kathryn could do this. Melinda knew it.

"Pai-" but her aunt's form began to evaporate into thousands of tiny orbs. Melinda quickly reached out and grabbed a hold of Paige's wrist. They landed just inside the door of Chris's room. Paige saw Chris first. His eyes were closed, but his chest was moving up and down slowly. Her eyes landed on Kathryn. She hadn't seen her niece in more than six years. Her head was bowed between her knees. Her shoulders were shaking.

Paige made no motion, but in just a split second after she and Melinda arrived, Kathryn's arms flailed from each side of her and pressed against the wood of the bed. Her face shot up, surprise and agony written plainly for both women to see. "Paige," she gasped.

Melinda sidestepped her aunt and put herself between Paige and Kathryn. "Paige, stop! You're not thinking right. Just take a second and let me explain!" She begged. Her mind was still numb from the news of Payton, but at the same time she was seeing things more clearly. There was no way Kathryn could have had anything to do with this. Wyatt had abandoned her, just like he'd abandoned them. She just had to make Paige see that before she lost another family member today.

Paige glowered at Melinda. "Get out of my way."

"No," Kathryn breathed behind Melinda, but neither woman acknowledged they'd heard her. Kathryn knew that they shouldn't be fighting over her. She had already done enough to tear her family apart today. She couldn't bear to watch it crumble any more.

Melinda made no attempt to move. She glared back at her aunt with intensity that matched hers. Paige felt herself deflating. Melinda looked so much like Piper it hurt. Her walls slowly crumbled until only pride was keeping her on her feet. She was exhausted, not just from the events of today, but from the last nine years of nothing but war and death. She was tired of fighting someone she had sworn to protect; she was tired of watching the people she loved die and not being able to do anything about it; she was just tired. This war was finally taking its toll. She was finally feeling the weight of everything she'd been through, and she didn't know how much longer she could last.

Melinda saw her aunt's anger drain from her eyes and expression. She sighed in relief. "Thank you," she said. She still didn't move from between Kathryn and Paige however.

"What's wrong with Chris?" Paige asked trying to distract herself long enough to gather her thoughts. Payton was dead, and Kathryn was in the stronghold. Their world was falling to pieces around them, and she had no idea how to stop it.

"He healed Kathryn. She was almost dead. The Witch Hunters...they..." Melinda knew she didn't need to finish. Paige had been there as well when her sister, Phoebe, was burned five years before. She had seen her sister's own injuries. She knew what the Hunters were capable of.

Paige swallowed hard and exhaled deeply. Her mind was racing, but she knew she had to keep it together long enough to deal with this first. There was always time to break when she was alone. "And he was okay with you bring Kathryn back here?"

"Wasn't that always the plan?" Melinda asked.

Paige sighed. Yes that had been the plan before Payton was killed by Wyatt. That changed everything. They were just beginning to feel the ramifications of Wyatt's act. She rubbed her temples with her finger tips trying to alleviate the headache she could feel coming. "Let me talk to her." She finally said. Melinda studied her aunt's expression. "I'm fine, now. Just let me talk to her."

The younger Halliwell hesitated another second then finally stepped to the side.

Kathryn's arms were still outstretched and pressed against the bed. Her deep green eyes were focused completely on Paige. The Charmed One's heart filled with so many different emotions: love, distrust, betrayal, patience, anger. Dirt and dried blood covered Kathryn's face. The gown she was wearing was filthy and raggedly torn. Her hair, which Paige remembered as always vibrant and beautiful, was dull, tangled and matted with blood and sweat. Paige wanted to embrace Kathryn, to comfort her, but the last nine years kept her in place. The knowledge that Kathryn could at this moment be bringing down the full force of Wyatt's armies upon them hardened her resolve.

Kathryn didn't bow under her aunt's inspection. She had been preparing herself for this moment. It had been a different world the last time she saw Paige. So much had changed inside her. She could see changes in her aunt as well. Her eyes were hard, unforgiving, and tired when before they had always been carefree and hopeful. Wrinkles lined her eyes and mouth. Her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, but Kathryn could still see silver streaks running back from her aunt's hairline. She waited for Paige to speak.

"Kathryn..." Paige finally managed. What did she want to say? What could she say? "Why are you here?" It seemed like the easiest place to start. It avoided the subjects Paige didn't want to breech just yet.

"Paige," Melinda hissed at her side.

"It's okay," Kathryn said not taking her eyes off her aunt. "I left Wyatt." She continued. She had practiced this moment a hundred times in her head, and yet the words seemed real to her. She even believed her own lies, but that didn't matter. They had to believe her. "I was trying to find you...but the Hunters found me first. They...tried to make me give them information on Wyatt, but I wouldn't. When they saw that I was of no more use to them, they decided to execute me. If Chris and Melinda hadn't shown up, I would be dead right now."

Paige bit her lip as she mulled over what Kathryn told her. She tried to find any hint that her niece was lying, but she couldn't. "Why did you leave Wyatt?"

Melinda touched her aunt's shoulder. Paige faced her. "That's enough, Paige." Melinda knew that Paige should be asking these questions. Melinda wanted to know the answers as well, but Paige wasn't doing this to find answers. She was doing this to find some way to accuse Kathryn of Payton's death.

Paige shook her head. "Mel, I know this is hard, but I have to protect my family."

"Our family," Melinda said firmly. "And you don't have to do it like that. You don't have to treat her like she's the-" she young woman stopped. "Like she's evil."

Paige knew her niece was going to say 'the enemy,' but had stopped herself because the enemy is exactly what Kathryn had been for the last nine years. Perhaps she still was.

Kathryn listened to Melinda defending her, and every word was like a knife to her already broken heart. She didn't deserve for Melinda to defend her like that, but Kathryn made no move to stop her. Paige's telekinesis held her to the bed, but Kathryn's selfishness kept her silent.

"I've already lost one of you today. I'm not going to let that happen again." Paige gritted through her teeth. Her hands were shaking. What control she did still have over herself was fading.

Piper, Phoebe, she moaned inwardly, I wish you were here. I can't do this by myself.

Melinda bowed her head as the implications of Paige's words hit her. "Just be easy on her. She's hurting too."

Kathryn knew this was the moment where she could continue to lie to them or reveal that she had been a part of Wyatt's plan. She screamed at herself to tell them, but when she spoke, her words felt like acid in her mouth. "What do you mean you've already lost someone today?" The guilt and horror she felt at herself morphed themselves to conceal her knowledge.

Paige stared at her for long seconds before answering. "Payton was killed today...by Wyatt." She cursed at herself as her voice cracked on the last word. Her stomach lurched and her heart ached.

Kathryn's reaction was genuine. "Payton..." she gasped. She lowered her head in disgust, in horror, in guilt, in grief. "Why would he..." she was sobbing loudly before she could control herself. In that back of her mind, Kathryn had thought that Wyatt wouldn't be able to go through with his plan. That he would realize this would tear their family apart forever, but she had been wrong, wrong in the most horrible of ways. Payton was younger than her. She could only be fifteen or sixteen, a child, and he had murdered her. "No..." she gasped against the agonizing emotions rolling over her.

Paige and Melinda watched Kathryn's reaction. Melinda started over to her sister, but Paige stopped her. Melinda glared at her aunt, but didn't put up a fight. "Why did you leave Wyatt?" Paige repeated.

Kathryn knew what her answer would be. She tried to catch her breath, but that only made her cough louder. After several moments, she was finally able to speak. "He's changed..." was all she could managed to get out. "I never thought..."

Melinda looked up at her aunt. "Is that good enough for you?" She ripped her arm away from Paige and went to her sister's side. She lowered herself to Kathryn's level then turned back to Paige. "Will you let her go now?"

Paige sighed, and Kathryn's arms fell to the young woman's side. She wrapped them around Melinda who hugged her back. Kathryn was in better control of herself now. She swallowed hard and looked at Paige. The Charmed One shook her head and walked over to Chris. "How long has he been out?"

"I guess about twenty minutes." Melinda returned. She pulled hair out of Kathryn's face. "Paige," she said standing to her feet. "How's Prue?"

Paige shook her head again. "I haven't seen her yet. Henry ws the one who told me about - Blake and Harper overheard. He's with Prue and Parker now."

Melinda thought this over. "You need to go see her. She needs you."

Paige knew what her niece was saying. Paige had lost both her sisters. She knew what it felt like, and what it took to get through it. "I'm not leaving you here." She said pointedly.

"Paige..." Melinda wanted desperately for her aunt to understand. "Prue need you. You know that. We're fine here. I promise."

Paige bit her lip. Melinda was right about one thing: Prue did need her. Paige shuddered at the thought of Prue returning to state she'd been in after Phoebe's death. They wouldn't be able to support her like they had last time. There was too much else going on, and they couldn't afford for Prue to lose it again especially if Wyatt still had more planned. They would need to be at full strength, and Prue was one of the greatest offensive weapons the resistance had. "I'll send Henry back here." She finally said.

Melinda sighed. Henry could be just as bad as his mother, but Henry had wanted to save Kathryn. If she could get him on her side, then maybe she could get Paige to understand. "You don't have to do that-" she started but before she could finish Paige had orbed away.

"You shouldn't have defended me like that." Kathryn whispered almost as soon as Paige was gone.

Melinda looked down at her confused. She didn't ask her sister the question that needed to be asked. She was afraid of the answer. She had been so sure when she thought Paige was going to hurt Kathryn that her sister hadn't had anything to do with Wyatt's plan, but inklings of doubt were starting to seep in around the edges. "You're family," was her only answer.

* * *

Paige appeared in Prue, Parker, and Payton's suite. It was one of the biggest living quarters in the stronghold, only her own was bigger. She was in Prue's bedroom. The walls were a dull grey, and the floors were white tile. The blankets were tangled at the foot of the bed. A long dresser sat on the opposite wall. A few picture frames were set on it. Bottles of potions and notebooks full of spells and information that she had gathered from the field were scattered across its surface. Another door that led to the rest of the suite was open. "Prue," Paige called, "Parker, it's Paige." She walked through the door.

The large living area was empty. Paige checked Parker's room, the kitchen, and bathroom before she found herself in front of Payton's room.

Payton was the only one that Paige knew of that had bothered to decorate her room. Three of the walls were a bright blue while the forth was electric orange. Her bedspread was swirls of two colors. A large mirror hung on one wall. There was a straight row of pictures across each wall. Paige smiled at them. They were of their family: some from before the war and some after. A dresser, identical to the ones found in every other room in the stronghold, was covered in more pictures and sketchbooks full of her drawings. Clothes were scattered everywhere, and the bed was unmade. Across the far wall, she had painted the words "Home is where you can be happy."

Tears rolled down Paige's cheek before she could stop them. Payton, out of all of them, deserved the least to die. She was the only one who had managed to find light in the darkness that surrounded them. Paige feared that with Payton's death that light would be gone forever.

She closed Payton's door behind her and pressed her head against the cool wood. "Where else could they be?" She whispered. They weren't in Henry's room. That's where Paige had been when Melinda found her. She wasn't with Chris. Then Paige knew where her niece's would be.

She disappeared in orbs again and landed in a room almost identical to her son's. It was small, only big enough for one person to live here comfortably. A twin sized bed was pressed against the wall. Three bodies laid across it. Two were sobbing.

Henry pulled himself from his seat at his mom's arrival. The other young man, Tanner, kept his gaze on the people on the bed. "Mom..." Henry said, not sure what else he could say.

"Henry, I need you to go to Chris's suite. Melinda and Kathryn are there." Paige gave her son a meaningful look.

Tanner's head snapped at the sound of Kathryn's name. His eyes flared with intensity, but he remained silent. Henry nodded gravely very aware of what his mother was telling him. He glanced at his cousin's on the bed one final time before he left the same way his mother entered.

Tanner flexed his fingers against his crossed arms. Paige watched him for a moment and tried to decipher his expression. The young man huffed. "I'll just stand guard outside."

Paige nodded. "Thank you."

Tanner shrugged his shoulders. When he was only a few inches from Paige he whispered where only she could hear him. "Don't let her go away again. I can't lose her." He opened the door that led out to the hallway and closed it behind him.

Paige sighed when she heard the door close. "Prue," she murmured walking over to the edge of the bed. She stopped when she saw Payton's body lying across it. She covered her eyes and tried to control her sobs.

Parker looked away from her sister and smiled weakly up at her aunt. She left her spot on the bed and wrapped her arms around Paige. Paige returned the hold. "How are you?"

Parker nodded but didn't say anything for long moments. "I don't know," she finally whispered. "I don't...know..." she looked at her elder sister who still hadn't acknowledged that Paige was here. Parker was trying her hardest not to fall apart. She knew one of them had to stay strong, and Prue was passed her breaking point. She hadn't stopped crying since she'd returned to the stronghold with Payton. She had barely said anything to Parker at all.

"She shouldn't have died," Paige said. "Not her."

Parker whimpered and clung to her aunt tighter. Paige looked down at her niece. "Parker, I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry." She pulled the young witch as tight as she could into her arms. "It's okay to cry. It's okay to be weak."

Parker sobbed into her aunt's chest. She cried for Payton. She cried for herself, and Prue, and for all of them. She even cried for Wyatt. The hurt was a physical presence in her body. She could pinpoint it back to her heart. It hurt to breathe, to do anything at all. None of this felt real. She tried to imagine a world without Payton, but she couldn't. Her sister was happy. She was the one who when everything seemed to be falling in around them found someway to make them laugh or smile. She brightened the world of everyone she touched, and now that light was gone forever. It didn't make sense. Paige was right. It shouldn't have been her.

It should have been me, Prue groaned inside her. I should have died. I should have told Wyatt I would take her place. I should have stopped him. I should have been there with her before he even got there. I should have known she'd come looking for the Witch Hunter. I should...

A thousand different ways she could have saved her sister played over and over in her head. She stroked her sister's face with her fingertips. Payton was blurry because of her tears, but Prue knew she was beautiful. "My little sister..." she whispered. Numbness had finally set in. She didn't hurt anymore, but she couldn't stop crying. None of this felt real to Prue. It was like she was in a daze. She would wake up any second and realize this was just another nightmare. She would walk to Payton's bedroom and find her sister sleeping peacefully. All of this was just a dream. It had to be. Prue couldn't lose anyone else. She wouldn't survive. "Please, come back to me." She murmured to her sister, her mother, her aunt, her uncles, everyone she'd lost along the way. Their faces and the grief of losing them all weighed on her. They pushed her further into the darkness, and she didn't have the strength to fight them anymore.

"I'm so sorry, Payton," she moaned.


End file.
